The United Arab Emirates ended the year with a headline-grabbing Cabinet resolution that rewrites large sections of its immigration rule-book. Published on 27 December 2025, the decision formalises four brand-new visit-visa purposes designed to plug gaps that mobility managers have long criticised.
First, the Specialist Visa targets artificial-intelligence scientists, data engineers and other frontier-tech experts. Companies licensed in the AI space can now sponsor single- or multiple-entry permits valid for up to 90 days and renewable onshore—an inexpensive alternative to the traditional one-year employment residency that typically costs firms AED 10,000-plus in deposits and medicals.
Second, an Entertainment Visa finally gives filmmakers, musicians and esports organisers a bespoke immigration track. Production houses had previously shoe-horned talent into ad-hoc tourist or mission visas, risking compliance breaches; the new category offers clarity on document packs and customs carnets for specialist equipment.
VisaHQ’s UAE desk stands ready to steer applicants through these newly minted categories. Whether you’re a tech innovator eyeing the Specialist Visa or a production crew coordinating multiple Entertainment Visas, the platform offers real-time eligibility checks, document-preparation tools and end-to-end filing support—see https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/ for details.
![UAE unveils biggest visa shake-up since 2019, adding AI-Specialist, Entertainment, Events and Maritime Tourism permits]()
The Events Visa codifies eligibility for conference delegates, trade-show exhibitors and even sports teams, requiring only an invitation letter from the host organisation. Mobility teams can therefore build event travel into annual HR budgets without the uncertainty of last-minute approvals.
Rounding out the quartet is the Maritime Tourism Visa, a multi-entry permit for cruise passengers and leisure-boat crews that reflects Dubai’s booming home-port market. Cruise lines will be able to manifest passengers once for an entire Gulf itinerary, cutting turnaround times at Port Rashid by up to 40 minutes per call.
While adding new doors of entry, the resolution also raises the bar on who may sponsor relatives or friends. Minimum monthly-income thresholds jump to AED 4,000 for first-degree relatives, AED 8,000 for second-/third-degree kin and AED 15,000 for non-relatives—numbers that payroll departments must now verify before issuing invitation letters. Logistics firms must underwrite truck-driver visas with health guarantees, and applicants for short-term Business Exploration Visas must show proof of funds and a professional track record.
Golden-Visa holders emerge as relative winners: the government pledges a 24-hour consular hotline, emergency travel documents if a passport is lost abroad and priority seats on any evacuation flight during crises. Humanitarian clauses have also been widened—widows, divorcees and nationals of conflict-hit countries may obtain sponsor-free stays of six to 12 months.
For employers the message is clear: update assignment checklists, budget for higher sponsorship costs and review relocation packages to leverage the new Specialist Visa when recruiting scarce tech talent. Inbound travel providers, meanwhile, will rush to market plug-and-play solutions for cruise operators and event organisers keen to capitalise on streamlined entry.
First, the Specialist Visa targets artificial-intelligence scientists, data engineers and other frontier-tech experts. Companies licensed in the AI space can now sponsor single- or multiple-entry permits valid for up to 90 days and renewable onshore—an inexpensive alternative to the traditional one-year employment residency that typically costs firms AED 10,000-plus in deposits and medicals.
Second, an Entertainment Visa finally gives filmmakers, musicians and esports organisers a bespoke immigration track. Production houses had previously shoe-horned talent into ad-hoc tourist or mission visas, risking compliance breaches; the new category offers clarity on document packs and customs carnets for specialist equipment.
VisaHQ’s UAE desk stands ready to steer applicants through these newly minted categories. Whether you’re a tech innovator eyeing the Specialist Visa or a production crew coordinating multiple Entertainment Visas, the platform offers real-time eligibility checks, document-preparation tools and end-to-end filing support—see https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/ for details.
The Events Visa codifies eligibility for conference delegates, trade-show exhibitors and even sports teams, requiring only an invitation letter from the host organisation. Mobility teams can therefore build event travel into annual HR budgets without the uncertainty of last-minute approvals.
Rounding out the quartet is the Maritime Tourism Visa, a multi-entry permit for cruise passengers and leisure-boat crews that reflects Dubai’s booming home-port market. Cruise lines will be able to manifest passengers once for an entire Gulf itinerary, cutting turnaround times at Port Rashid by up to 40 minutes per call.
While adding new doors of entry, the resolution also raises the bar on who may sponsor relatives or friends. Minimum monthly-income thresholds jump to AED 4,000 for first-degree relatives, AED 8,000 for second-/third-degree kin and AED 15,000 for non-relatives—numbers that payroll departments must now verify before issuing invitation letters. Logistics firms must underwrite truck-driver visas with health guarantees, and applicants for short-term Business Exploration Visas must show proof of funds and a professional track record.
Golden-Visa holders emerge as relative winners: the government pledges a 24-hour consular hotline, emergency travel documents if a passport is lost abroad and priority seats on any evacuation flight during crises. Humanitarian clauses have also been widened—widows, divorcees and nationals of conflict-hit countries may obtain sponsor-free stays of six to 12 months.
For employers the message is clear: update assignment checklists, budget for higher sponsorship costs and review relocation packages to leverage the new Specialist Visa when recruiting scarce tech talent. Inbound travel providers, meanwhile, will rush to market plug-and-play solutions for cruise operators and event organisers keen to capitalise on streamlined entry.
